Combined spark-coil and indicator.



' J. V. THORNDIKE.

COMBINED SPARK COIL AND INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED QUT. 23, 1908. v

Patented Mar. .29, 1910.

W/TNESSES JAMES VERN THORNDIKE, OF RANDOLPH, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED SPARK-COIL AN'D lNDICATOR.

Specification o f Letters Patent.

raf man Mar. 29, i910.

Application led October 23. 1908. Serial No. 459.125.

i To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that' I, .limits Vi-:nx 'l`non.\' Duin, a citizen of the United States, and a residentI ot Randolph, in the county ot' Cedar and State ot' Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Combined Sparletloil and Indicator, ol.' which the, following` is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric spark devices, my more 1:)articular purpose being to combine a spark coil with an appropriate indicator i'or disclosing the condition.o'l`: the coil, in order that the operator may readily ascertain itfthe spark is being made properly.

ing drawings forming a pa'rt of this specili cation,rin which similar characters of referencevindicate, corresponding` parts 'in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective showiilig the combined coil and indicator; and liig. 2 is a. diagram of the wiring and shows how the instrument appearing in Fig. 1 may be conneeted with an engine and with a source of electricity.

'.Mounted within a box 3 is a spark' coil 4. This coil has a laminated core 5, and-at the upper end of the coil is a board (3 having binding posts 7, 8 upon it for convenience 1n attaching wires 9, 10. At the bottom of the coil 4: is another board 11 and below this is an armature 12 which is secured upon the board 1 1. by aid of journals 1?). Pivotally connected with the outer or free'end ot the armature 12 is a link 14. A brace 15 is connected with the board 11 for the purpose of supporting the same, and is also connected y with the back of the box.v A rocking shaft at a. glance.

1G is journaled partly within this brace 15 and partly Within a bearing plate 17..

Mounted-upon the shaft 16 is an arm 18 to which the vlink 14 is pivoted. A spring' 18 is connected with the link 111 and also with a windlass 1S). By turning this Windlass by hand, tension of the spring 18L may be regulated at. will. A needle 20 is mounted upon the shaft 16 and is adapted to play over v a graduated scale 21, so that any movement of the shaft- 16 1s apparent from a. glance at thc graduated scale 21 and the needle 20. The box 8 a provided With a slot 22 through which readings of the scale 21 maybe made At 23 is an internal combustion engine h Reference is to be had to the accompanyand associated with it is av revoluble contact arm 2| which perimlically engages a staionary sector or contact member 25. A wire 2t? is connected with the sector 25 and with a hand switch 2T. wire 2S is connected with the hand switch 2T and 'with a batter)I 2S). Vroni the batter \v the wire 10 leads to the coil 4 shown in Fig. 1. The wire .l connects the coil with the contact: arm 2t.

'l`he graduations 2l ma)v be numbered as desired. ln the particular :instance shown in 'Figi sive.

The operation ot my device is as follows: '.lihe parts being connected up as indicated in Fig. 2, the switch 27 being closed by hand, and the revoluble contact. arm 24 being in motion, contact is reliieatedly made and broken between thiscontactarm and the Sector or Stationary contact member 25. Each time contact is thus made. the 'following cir cuit is completed: battery 2.0, wire 10, binding post 8,c0il 4, binding post 7 wire 9,con tact arm 24.-, contact sector 25, wire 26, switch 27, and Wire 28, back` to battery 29. This circuit being broken, every time the contact arm 24 leaves the sector'25, a spark is made in the manner well known in this art. "The completion of the circuit, in encrgizingtl'le. coil 4, excites the core 5 and causes it to at tract the armature 12. The kgnmature thereupon swings upward, causing the link 14 to rock the. arm 1.8, and consequently the Shaft. 16 and needle 20. The operator, by looking through the slot. 22 at then'eedlc 2O and Scale 21 can sce Atroni imivcments ol the needle relatively to the scale Whether the circuit is in Working condition; or in other words, whether the spark is being made.

I have made the discovery that with the 'apparatus arranged as above described, each time the coil is energized and deenergized, it the spark is a goed ones--a fat. spark as it is often calledM-the movement ofthe needle is farther than would otherwise'l'e the case. The operator therefore, by watching the character of the. movement made by the needle, can ascertain, with some degree of' precision, whether the spark is being made properly or not. The reason why the needle moves differently when the spark is being made properly, is doubtless due to the induct ance of the coil 4, .this inductance being greater Whenever the spark is made properly l. they run troni Zero to 400. inclu- I than when it is not made at all or is made imperfectly. lVhen the rotation of the contact arm 24 is comparatively slow, the acthe contact arm 24 rotates with unusual for indicating changes in the condition o f the current traversing` said circuit.

rapidity, the needle 20 does not have time, i

after each impulse, to resume its normal position and therefore takes up a tolerably steady position upon the scale. In any thenccdlc and scale, can ascertain the condiperiormance of thc spark.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination oi' an electric circuit. a spark coil connected therewith Vlfor ncreasing the voltage oi currents llowing `through said Circuit, a movable armature Vl'or said spark coil, and indicating mechanism con nectcd with said movable armature and actnated thereby for disclosing when said spark coil is energized.

Q. The combination of an electric circuit. a source olli electricity for energizingr said cirenit` a spark coil connected with said circuit. for the "purpose ot intensifying currents traversing the same, said spark coil being- 3. The combination of an electric circuit, a spark coil connected with said electric circuit for energizing the same, an armature movable relatively to said spark coil and actuated thereby, and mechanism connected with said armature and operated by the saine t'or tliepurposc of indicating' the condition.

of .said Circuit.

4. The combination oli a circuit including i contact members for the purpose of opening event, however, thc operator, by watching said circuit and thereby producing a spark,

a Ispark coil connected with said circuit for tion oi: the electric circuitand the manner ot' increasing the voltage of currents traversing the latter, and mechanism actuated inagnetically by said spark coil for indicatingr when currents flow through said circuit.

.'i. The combination ot an electric circuit including contact ni'einbers for producing a spark. an indicating mechanism, a spark coil connected electrically with said circuit for provided with a core, a movable armaturcl disposed adjacent to said core, and indicating mechanism*connected with said armature and controllable by movements thereof I the purpose of increasing the voltage of cuirentsl [lowing therethrough, and a movable armature controllable by said Spark coil and connected mechanicall)v with said indicating .mechanism for the purpose ol actuating the latter.

ln testimony whereo'l" l have signed in v naine. to this specification in the presence ol' two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES VICRN 'l`ll()l{-.\ll)ll{l `i.

Vlfitnesses:

J. L. DoLiN, DJI. E. Boor.. 

